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Friday, November 20, 2015

A Tiny Flock of Sweaters for Good



Important Update Dec. 2018: Juniper Moon has a new shop for the wooden cutout animals you can find right here: https://juniper-moon-yarns.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage 

Hi, Knitters,
Today I am publishing four free and tiny animal sweaters as a small contribution of added fun for the Heifer International fundraiser being driven by Susan Gibbs and family of Juniper Moon Farm. Susan's husband is the one cutting out the animals and I have a feeling he is going to be a very busy guy!

A portion from each sale of the wooden animals is being donated to Heifer International. The cut-outs can be ordered until December 15th, 2015 (of course check with Susan Gibbs for any new or different information on this sale). Their goal is to raise $5,000 for the organization through this fundraiser.

To make your own adorable sweater-ed flock the first thing you'll need to do is order your wooden animal cut-outs, and the stands if you'd like, from Juniper Moon Farm. The stands are optional, of course, but I love them and they give you more options for displaying the animals. The animals would make great ornaments with an added hook or string or they could be used as little gift-toppers or stocking stuffers as well.


Click here for the Juniper Moon Website and blog! The blog shows different ideas for decorating the animals, which is fun to see.  

The following patterns will remain only as a blog post right here on the blog and they will remain free. Please feel free to copy the text and paste it into your word program to create your own documents or pdfs if you'd prefer that. 

The pattern for A Tiny Flock of Sweaters for Good is on Ravelry! Click here!

The animal cut-outs and stands were gifted to me from Susan of Juniper Moon Farm. I created the tiny sweater patterns to boost interest and to hopefully bring more attention to Susan's creative fundraising idea. Thank you, Susan Gibbs, for including me in your amazing and creative idea to support Heifer International's fantastic charity work all over the world.

Click here for the Heifer International website! This one is so cool it will bring a tear to your eye.



I've added A Tiny Flock of Sweaters for Good to Ravelry! Click here for the project page!

Yarn: Bits and bobs of sock or fingering weight yarn. Mini-skeins will work. 2-3 grams will be enough per animal.

Needles: US size 2 dpns or circular for magic loop or size to obtain gauge

Gauge: 7 stitches per inch in stockinette

Materials: 
Scissors
Ruler or tape measure
Stitch Marker
Yarn needle

Please read the pattern notes before starting!

Pattern Notes: 
~ All sweaters are started at the bottom edge.
~ All sweaters are worked in the round starting at the bottom up to the front leg. 
~ Once you reach the front leg you will be working back and forth or flat up to the bound-off neck edge. 
~ After knitting the sweater, the wooden animal is put into the sweater by putting the head and front leg through the cast-on bottom end and then arranging the sweater on the body. 
~ You will be sewing your animal into the sweater.
~ The cut yarn end from the bound-off stitches on the neck is placed on a yarn needle and the ribbed neck is held in place together around the animal and is whipstitched together down to the front leg. 
~ All ends are pulled to the inside and trimmed to stay inside, no weaving in of ends is necessary.


Lamb Sweater
Cast on 16 sts. Join to work in the round being careful not to twist the stitches. Place a stitch marker on the first stitch.
Rnds 1-4: (K1, p1) repeat to the end of the round.
Knit every round until the body measures 1-inch from the cast on edge.

Now begin to work back and forth or flat. You will begin with a purl row. 

Tip: I placed all of the stitches on 1 needles for this part. The first couple of rows are a little tight this way but it loosens up after working a few rows. It's up to you! You can continue working on all of the needles back and forth, too.

Work back and forth for 5 rows, beginning with a purl row.

Rib neck:
Rows 1-6: (K1, p1) repeat to the end of the row.
Bind off. Cut the yarn leaving a 6-inch end. Pull the end through the remaining stitch.
Follow the instructions in Pattern Notes (at the start of the pattern) for finishing.


Yearling Sweater
Cast on 18 sts. Join to work in the round being careful not to twist the stitches. Place a stitch marker on the first stitch.
Rnds 1-4: (K1, p1) repeat to the end of the round.
Knit every round until the body measures 1 1/2-inches from the cast on edge.

Now begin to work back and forth or flat. You will begin with a purl row. 

Tip: I placed all of the stitches on 1 needles for this part. The first couple of rows are a little tight this way but it loosens up after working a few rows. It's up to you! You can continue working on all of the needles back and forth, too.

Work back and forth for 7 rows, beginning with a purl row.

Rib neck:
Rows 1-8: (K1, p1) repeat to the end of the row.
Bind off. Cut the yarn leaving a 6-inch end. Pull the end through the remaining stitch.
Follow the instructions in Pattern Notes (at the start of the pattern) for finishing. Note that for this sheep I cuffed the neckline.


Ewe Sweater:
Cast on 20 sts. Join to work in the round being careful not to twist the stitches. Place a stitch marker on the first stitch.
Rnds 1-3: (K2, p2) repeat to the end of the round.
Knit every round until the body measures 2-inches from the cast on edge.

Now begin to work back and forth or flat. You will begin with a purl row. 

Tip: I placed all of the stitches on 1 needles for this part. The first couple of rows are a little tight this way but it loosens up after working a few rows. It's up to you! You can continue working on all of the needles back and forth, too.

Work back and forth for 8 rows, beginning with a purl row.

Rib neck:
Rows 1-11: (K2, p2) repeat to the end of the row.
Bind off. Cut the yarn leaving a 6-inch end. Pull the end through the remaining stitch.
Now follow the instructions in Pattern Notes (at the start of the pattern) for finishing. 


Alpaca Sweater:
Cast on 24 sts. Join to work in the round being careful not to twist the stitches. Place a stitch marker on the first stitch.
Rnds 1-4: (K2, p2) repeat to the end of the round.
Knit every round until the body measures 2-inches above the cast on edge.

Now begin to work back and forth or flat. You will begin with a purl row. 

Tip: I placed all of the stitches on 1 needles for this part. The first couple of rows are a little tight this way but it loosens up after working a few rows. It's up to you! You can continue working on all of the needles back and forth, too.

Work back and forth for 9 rows, beginning with a purl row.
Decrease Rows:
Row 1: Ssk, knit to the last 3 sts, k2tog. 22 sts.
Row 2: Purl.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 once more. 20 sts.

Rib neck:
Row 1: (K2, p2) repeat to the end of the row.
Repeat Row 1 until the rib section measures 1 1/2 inches.
Bind off. Cut the yarn leaving an 8-inch end. Pull the end through the remaining stitch.
Now follow the instructions in Pattern Notes (at the start of the pattern) for finishing. Note that I cuffed both the hem and the neckline for the alpaca's sweater.

Please let me know if you make a flock with sweaters! I would love to see what you do. Post on Instagram and tag me, #susanbanderson, if you think of it. That would be wonderful. 



Enjoy, dear friends! We are heading fast and furiously into the holiday season. Let's all hang onto our hats and needles together.
xo ~ susan

29 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting your pattern Susan! I ordered sheep and llamas last night. I'm hoping that I just need to make the alpaca neck longer for the llama.

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  2. These are wonderful! I bought one set of sheep and one of alpaca - I already wrapped my sheep but I'm going to start making alpaca sweaters this weekend!

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  3. Extremely cute ... & wonderful organization! I also bought a set of sheep & alpaca. Can't wait to make these! I'm going to use them as ornaments : ) And thank you for the free pattern!

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  4. Thank you!! This is a wonderful contribution to such an important cause. Thanks to Juniper Moon Farms as well!!❤️❤️

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  5. Thank you so much! I was already thinking that my sheep needed sweaters, and now I don't have to work out the details myself. Heifer International is a cause I have always supported, which makes this whole project even more wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. knitterswildNovember 20, 2015

    These are so sweet! I was looking for a perfect gift ornament this year and between the Juniper Moon Farm yarn and wooden sheep with your little sweater designs I think I have it!

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  7. Elizabeth LynnNovember 20, 2015

    Love the sweaters. Gotta get me some size 2s to work with. I have loads of fingering weight yarn!

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  8. What a great pair to see teamed up. These are adorable.

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  9. This is awesome! I just bought a ton of these little guys - better get started on the sweaters!

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  10. Thanks, Susie,
    I ordered the goats.
    Are they the same size as the ewes?
    Want to keep them warn in these New England Winters.

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  11. KML ~ Hi!
    I don't know. Susan Gibbs only sent me the four animals in the post. I haven't seen any of the others in person. I love the goat and the bunny! So cute. I imagine they are similar in size to some of the pattern I have posted and could be easily adapted to fit.
    Susan

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  12. oh these are just wonderful!!! i jumped to order a flock of sheep (and somehow a flock of llamas found there way in my basket too). i'm giving one be-sweatered animal to each person on my christmas list. what a lovely idea susan! thank you for the post and for the adorable patterns!

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  13. Nan in Chickasaw CountryNovember 21, 2015

    What a nice thought. One person's gift of giving idea begets another. We are recipients of this gift which allows us to have fun with our needles and get in on the giving. Talk about a WIN - WIN - WIN! Thank you, Susan!

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  14. Thank you so much for these patterns! I was excited to buy my flock and I have been wondering how I was going to "dress" them. These little sweaters are fantastic!

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  15. These are wonderful. Such a good cause. Are there any approximate sizes posted for sheep llama alpaca?

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  16. Diana, The sweaters are about 2-3 inches in length for the sheep and the alpaca is maybe 4 inches in total.
    susan

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  17. What a great idea. I mostly love the fact that this project will help others. Being an alpaca farmer, I could not resist ordering the 'ranch herd' of 100 alpacas. I will spend many fun hours knitting up little coats form them this winter!

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  18. njchristine said Just received my wool farm which has lots of sheep !! Plan on knitting several sweaters but the remainder wrapping with yarn and using as gift tags on my Christmas presents - thank you Susan and Juniper Moon !!!!!

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  19. Thank you for sharing this pattern. I just ordered myself a flock of alpacas. I can't wait to dress them up for the holidays!

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  20. OMGosh, fun and adorable.

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  21. Wonderful and awesome idea you have

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  22. Rebecca BrownDecember 05, 2015

    I was able to modify the yearling sheep pattern to fit the T-Rex. Cast on 18, but work it flat as per the yearling pattern to 1 3/4", then join in the round and work 5 rounds of ribbing, bind off. Slip over the head and sew together between arms, under belly and under tail.

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  23. You say that the gauge is 7 stitches to the inch, How many stitches do you cast on?

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  24. Hi Jennifer,
    Under each title like Lamb, Yearling and Ewe, it states how many stitches to cast on for each of the patterns.
    Susan

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  25. How tall is the Alpaca?

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  26. Hey where can I get 4-5 of the sheep. We are in FFA and raising a lamb. I have saved some wool and this would be perfect.
    please help thank you

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  27. Where can I find 4-5 of the sheep? We are raising a lamb and I have saved some wool, this would be perfect.

    please help thank you
    faith and emily

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  28. HI Faith,
    The links for the Juniper Moon Shop are in the post: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JuniperMoonSheepShop?ref=l2-shopheader-name

    I looked and it appears they are taking a break but will be back sometime soon! It would be fun to use your sheep's wool for these.
    Take care,
    Susan

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  29. LOVE these! Any way to share a pdf of the llama + sheep shapes as it appears they are no longer available and this is the second year i’ve Looked at least! HA If I had the pattern my husband or sons could cut them out of wood and we could donate to heifer on our own! :) THANKS!

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